Shiki: Aki
by Aquarius Galuxy
Summary: [Vignette] Juubei finds out that catching a falling leaf isn't quite as easy as it seems. KazuJuu childhood fic. Fluff


Okay, the next in the Shiki series! Enjoy! ;D

Getbackers doesn't belong to me.

**Shiki: Aki  
By Aquarius Galuxy**

"_You're so old-fashioned, Juubei!"_

"_What's so funny?"_

-O-

His feet clattered lightly over the traditional wooden bridge, startling fishes that had been milling about in the clear stream below. But Juubei had expected that reaction – rather, he had crossed the Fuuchouin compounds far too many times to notice the quick darts of the animals.

Past the grassy banks of the stream, thick bamboo plants flanked either sides of his path; slats of light shone through a thin canopy of narrow leaves, casting shadows that quivered in the wind. He hastened past these as well, looking forward to the time when he could meet his charge again.

Turning down the left fork in his path, Juubei headed through the maze of wooden buildings, each steeped in centuries of tradition. A breeze tugged at his clothes; the ground was just slightly spongy beneath his _geta_.

He had his sights set on a building right at the end – the Fuuchouin ancestral dojo. Distinct sounds of thread whistling through air grew louder as he approached, mingled with that of flesh hitting wood. Kazuki's practise session had not ended, then.

Just as he neared the entrance of the dojo, a man's voice resonated from within. Movement had stopped; light panting could be heard. Silence had fallen so quickly that the soft chirping of birds which had not yet left for warmer lands were accentuated.

"That will be all for today, Kazuki." Juubei could imagine the elder Fuuchouin tucking his bells back into the sleeves of his kimono. "You may go now."

"_Hai, chichi-ue._" There was a pause – perhaps the boy had kept his bells and bowed – before soft footsteps pattered over to the door.

Juubei drew a breath and held it, anticipating the appearance of his friend just as the younger boy stepped out from the yawning doorway. The Fuuchouin was dressed in his usual pink kimono, short chin-length hair damp with sweat. There were smudges of dirt on his face; Juubei swept his gaze over Kazuki, checking for and spotting raw skin that had rubbed against wood. He made to move forward.

Hazel eyes brightened considerably as Kazuki caught sight of him. Instead of having joy fill him as his charge hurried over, though, Juubei frowned, stepping towards his friend and taking hold of his hand, lifting it up. The pink kimono sleeve slipped down a little, revealing reddish skin down the side of his wrist.

"You're hurt." Mild injuries of this sort required herbal salves, but he did not have those on hand. "I'll get you home, and then we can clean that up."

Kazuki's face fell. It wasn't the slight change in countenance that hinted at mental turmoil. Rather, the expression his charge faced him with was one of large, pleading eyes and slightly-parted lips. "But I wanted us to go for a walk together."

So Kazuki had known. Unless something of great severity had occurred, he was powerless against the beseeching look that his charge threw at him. In that sense, Kazuki's ability was unrivalled.

"Alright," he finally conceded. Giving the Fuuchouin's wrist a last once-over, the Kakei reassured himself that his friend's abrasion would not have major consequences, before he allowed himself to release that slender hand. "Where did you want us to go?"

The implication that question had on their futures struck neither of them; even less so, Kazuki's reply. "It's somewhere we've never been to together before, Juubei – the forest behind _haha-ue_'s room."

Inclining his head in thought, Juubei mapped the location out in his mind. No, he'd never been there previously. It was thus that he was caught by surprise when Kazuki slipped his unhurt hand into his own, tugging lightly. "Come on, Juubei."

He blinked; his charge smiled briefly before turning away, heading off the path they were standing on. There was no other choice but to follow the boy, was there?

The scenery around them remained roughly the same, where the ground was increasingly peppered with large leaves, until they reached the back of a small building on the edge of the compound. By then, they were far away from the rest of the household, leaving no other human presence around.

Juubei had caught glimpses of the trees from afar, but close up... He was struck by the russet canopy that seemed to surround them, only keeping away from where the buildings were. The trees from his childhood seemed never to have been as brilliant as the colours displayed here, nor were they as spectacular. He drew a deep breath.

Kazuki turned slightly, watching him. "It's beautiful, isn't it? I've always wanted to show it to you."

"I..." The Kakei swept his gaze around the expanse of trees, as if trying to burn the sight into his memory. There were more of the same plants behind; he wondered if it would be as breathtaking walking amongst the falling red-gold leaves. "I've never seen anything like it."

"I know." A light squeeze on his hand reminded him of his charge's proximity; it had momentarily slipped his mind that they still remained in contact. He shifted his gaze to Kazuki. There was a warm smile pulling on the Fuuchouin's lips that made his heart tighten. "Shall we walk further in?"

"If you wish to," Juubei replied slowly, a little dazed by the warm colours around them.

His charge brightened, stepping forward again. Without hesitation, he followed the younger boy into the forest of deciduous trees, eyes darting from the rays of sunlight falling through copper-coloured leaves, to the rough, lined barks of trees and the leaf-strewn forest floor, then back to the russet canopy that whispered like a crowd of invisible voyeurs above them.

A light breeze picked up then, ruffling their hair and their clothes. It rustled through the canopy and gathered dried leaves, scattering them onto the soft ground below in a way that was reminiscent of a farmer sowing his seeds.

At the sight of tawny leaves resembling a flurry of feathers descending to the ground, Juubei felt his eyes widen. Deep within his memory was a story his mother had told him, one of a peasant boy who caught countless leaves for the young princess of his country. "_For good luck,"_ the peasant boy had told his princess.

For good luck, Juubei thought. A day of good luck for every leaf he caught.

Lightly releasing Kazuki's hand, he gave his charge a reassuring smile, stepping a little distance away as the next gust of wind blew. It seemed to rain leaves then – a shower of overlarge raindrops slowly drifting to the forest floor. Juubei jumped for one that floated in his direction, reaching out to grab the leaf –

He missed.

Unfazed, he tried again, leaping at the next leaf he saw. After all, there were plenty of them on the trees, and they would not stop falling. The leaf slipped from his fingers at the last moment, twisting just out of his grasp. His lips parted in incredulity. It had been so close!

"What are you doing, Juubei?" The Fuuchouin had inclined his head, watching him quietly. He paused and blinked, having almost forgotten about his friend. An inner voice chided him for this. Outwardly, though, he gave the boy a tiny smile.

"You'll know after I catch a leaf."

"Can't you just pick one off the ground?" Kazuki's voice was lightly teasing.

"No, it doesn't work that way." He turned back to the trees, waiting as another gust took more leaves towards him.

The Kakei was soon to discover that capturing even a single leaf alone was not easy, from the way the shower of leaves missed his hands at every single attempt, no matter how he jumped, lunged or sprung. Even when his forehead beaded with sweat, the leaves continued to avoid his fingers, as if mocking his boyish abilities.

Then he finally caught the edge of one with the tips of his fingers. Juubei could not keep a triumphant grin from spreading across his face as he turned to Kazuki.

"_Sugoi_, Juubei!" The Fuuchouin clapped his hands and stepped over to his protector, hazel eyes sparkling. Dried leaves crinkled beneath his wooden _geta_. "Now, will you tell me what it's for?"

Juubei waited until his charge was right in front of him, before holding the russet leaf out. It was stiff and oval-shaped, with toothed edges and dark lines down the middle, roughly the size of his hand. "It's for luck, Kazuki. A leaf for a day of good luck... I meant to give it to you."

Kazuki's large eyes widened as he accepted the leaf, a smile accentuating his features once again. It made Juubei smile as well, this appreciation of his efforts. It didn't matter now that his cheeks were flushed from exertion, nor that his clothes were damp with sweat. All he was truly concerned about was that Kazuki was happy.

"Thank you, Juubei." The Fuuchouin cradled the leaf in his hands, keeping it close to himself. In the late afternoon light, their faint shadows were cast over a wide distance on the ground, against freshly-fallen leaves.

He rubbed the back of his head with his hand, smiling modestly. Droplets of sweat from his hair clung onto his fingers. "It wasn't much."

His charge seemed contemplative for a short moment, staring at the leaf. When he looked up again, there was a curious glint in his eyes. "The princess and the peasant boy fell in love eventually, didn't they?"

"I guess they did..." It wasn't until a few moments later that he realised what the Fuuchouin was hinting at. His stomach flipped; heat rose to his cheeks. The idea was just too... "You've heard of that story as well?"

"_Hai_. Don't all mothers tell their children about it?" Kazuki slipped his hand back into Juubei's, catching him unawares when he glanced away. The leaf was held firmly in his other hand, the one with raw skin and a dull throb that was starting to fade away.

"Let's go back now," he continued when his protector gazed at him in question.

Juubei's lips twitched upwards as he nodded, the trace of a blush still evident on his cheeks.

-X-

Whoa... Quite a few translations for this one. ;D

_Geta_ refers to the traditional slippers the Japanese wear... _Chichi-ue _and _haha-ue _are the olden terms for Father and Mother respectively. _Sugoi_ means 'amazing', and of course, _Shiki_ refers to Seasons, and _aki_ is autumn, if you haven't guessed. ;D

I can't remember where I heard the story about the princess and the peasant boy from... It might've been from somewhere on FFN, but I really can't remember. o-o

Hope you liked the fic! ;D


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